@article{fdi:010046163,
  title = {{D}eciphering the relationships between {R}ickettsia conorii conorii and {R}hipicephalus sanguineus in the ecology and epidemiology of {M}editerranean spotted fever},
  author = {{P}arola, {P}. and {S}ocolovschi, {C}. and {R}aoult, {D}idier},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{M}editerranean spotted fever is the most important tick-borne disease occurring in {S}outhern {E}urope and {N}orth {A}frica. {T}he first case of this life-threatening zoonosis was reported in 1910. {I}n the 1930s, the role of the brown dog tick, {R}hipicephalus sanguineus, and the causative agent, {R}ickettsia conorii were described. {H}owever, basic questions regarding the relationships between the rickettsia and its tick vector are still unresolved, and the life cycle of {R}. conorii is incompletely known. {T}here is a lack of knowledge associated with the role of {R}h. sanguineus in the maintenance and transmission of {R}. conorii. {T}he infectious rate of {R}h. sanguineus ticks with {R}. conorii has been found low every time it has been tested; usually lower that 1%. {T}he deleterious impact of {R}. conorii on ticks has been suggested in experimental models as a potential reason to explain a low prevalence in nature. {T}he long-recognized phenomenon known as reactivation has been suggested as a cause of negative effects - that is, the change in temperature and physiology of the tick host induces the agent to emerge from dormancy and attain infectivity with bad effects on ticks. {H}owever, naturally infected colonies of ticks have been maintained in laboratory conditions over several generations. {W}e discuss here several aspects that have been recently studied to better understand {R}h. sanguineus-{R}. conorii relationships, including comparison between the fitness of infected and non-infected ticks in laboratory conditions and the role of external factors such as temperature and starvation.},
  keywords = {{R}hipicephalus sanguineus ; {R}ickettsia conorii ; ticks - rickettsia},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{R}ickettsiology and {R}ickettsial {D}iseases},
  volume = {1166},
  numero = {},
  pages = {49--54},
  ISSN = {0077-8923},
  year = {2009},
  DOI = {10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04518.x},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010046163},
}